Darkness Rising
by E350
Summary: The Nicktoons prepare to take down the mysterious Man in the White Suit once and for all, but their adversary is one step ahead of them. Now, they are faced with a dialemma - how do you defeat an enemy who's already won? Rated for safety. Sequel to 'Stage Fright' and 'A Day in the Lab'. SB/SC, Danny/Sam.
1. Prologue

Now, this isn't overdue at _all. _:P

Well, this is the culmination of the last four Nicktoons fics and the end of the Man in the White Suit arc. It was going to come earlier, but sadly, I had a massive Mass Effect plot bunny and it blossomed out of control. That's nearly done now, though, so I thought I'd get right into this before I had any more plot bunnies.

Let's get right into it - enjoy!

* * *

**Nicktoons: Rising Darkness**

**Prologue**

_Caen, France. 1944._

"I suppose you'd call me a vagrant of some kind."

Lieutenant Bailey leant against the wall of the interrogation room as the white-suited fellow began his explanation. They'd found him hunkered down with a squad of German soldiers in the centre of Caen – hardly a normal place for an unarmed civilian, so command had ordered that he be questioned.

"Particularly well-dressed for a vagrant," noted Bailey.

"I said I was a vagrant, not a peasant," corrected the man, "In fact, you'll find I'm a man of wealth and taste."

"Riiight," nodded Bailey, unconvinced.

"Tell me, Lieutenant," asked the man, "Did you visit Germany in the 1930s? Can you explain why the German people wanted such an…extreme leadership?"

"No," replied Bailey, "Why?"

"It was a personal gift," replied the man, "Every now and again, you have a person with such an electrifying personality that, for better or worse, you simply _must_ follow them. How else would you explain the rise of Napoleon? Washington? Joan of Arc, or Caesar?"

"Your point?" snapped Bailey.

"Every one of those men had their own little yes-man, hiding in the shadows," elaborated the man, "Never noticeable, never cared about, yet essential to success."

The man stood up, and placed his hands behind his back.

"I am the yes-man, the chancellor, the scheming minister in the background," he said, "Loading the dice, ensuring the right men succeed and the wrong ones fall. I am the architect of your whole history."

"Bull," sniffed Bailey.

"Far from it, Lieutenant," replied the man, "I was there when Rome burnt. I watched Constantinople fall. I saw the storming of the Bastille. I am older and wiser then you will ever know, and one day, sooner then you expect, my plans will come into fruition."

He sneered.

"I am the instrument of your destiny, Lieutenant," he grinned, "Humanity _exists_ for me."

"You're a nutter," sighed Bailey, "The MPs can deal with you, I'm getting Sergeant Edwards to take you down to them right…"

"Sir! Sir!"

A soldier shot in the door, looking panicked.

"Edwards?" quizzed Bailey, "What the hell is it?"

"The sky! Look at the sky!"

Bailey ran out of the room and to the nearest window. His jaw dropped.

Above them was an endless void of purple, broken up by red star-like dots. It had taken everything within about a 200m radius of them, after which the ground cut off, as if they were floating on a giant flat rock.

Bailey turned away from the window. The man was standing behind him.

"Believe me now, Lieutenant?"

He tipped his hat and vanished into thin air.

* * *

"Get it into the lab, now! Tucker, watch your hea-never mind, just put it on the table!"

Jimmy ran into the lab, followed by Danny and Tucker, who were carrying a highly damaged robot. Quickly, the two put it gently on the table as Jimmy attached a cable to her head. Information began to appear on the VOX screen.

_Man…in the…Suit…plan…fruition…_

"The Man in the White Suit," whispered Jimmy.

A date began to appear on the screen.

"Gas planet," he whispered, "That can't be…"

"What? What's wrong?" demanded Danny.

"_That's tomorrow._"

* * *

INSERT EPIC MUSIC HERE


	2. Chapter 1: Apprehension

This chapter was supposed to be longer, but my computer issues delayed it to the point that I'm just happy I didn't end up losing what I had. :| Anyway, next chapter will be more exciting, promise.

Review replies;

**SOLmaster:** Glad you liked it! Hugely sorry for the delay, I promise you won't wait as long for the next one. :D Thanks for reading!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant: **He's not the devil, but you might not be far off. ;) Thanks for reviewing!

**TweenisodeOrange:** Yeah, that's a _little_ bit narcissistic, mate. =P Thanks for the review!

* * *

**Chapter One: Apprehension**

"Three hours until broadcast, Mr. Masters."

"Thank you, Damon – I'll see you at Town Hall."

The Man in the White Suit leant against the wall as Vlad shut the door to his study. The Mayor immediately strode over to his desk and sat down, looking irritated.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Masters?" asked the Man in the White Suit, "Are you having second thought?"

"What if this fails?" demanded Vlad, "This isn't like my plans against Daniel – if this fails, my public life would be in _ruins._"

"Indeed," agreed the Man in the White Suit, serenely, "You'd be hunted. No nation – no _civilization_ would accept you. You would never find peace."

"Then _why_ am I risking myself for this?" growled Vlad.

"Because you know I _won't_ fail," replied the Man in the White Suit.

He walked over to Vlad, a grin crossing his face.

"You want Mr. Fenton," he noted, "You want Mr. Fenton's mother. And you know, very well…_I_ am your best bet."

"Okay guys, here's what we know."

* * *

Jimmy had gathered the other Nicktoons in his lab, having somehow set up a conference table in the main room. He himself was standing, pacing across the lab in his anxiety.

"We know the Man in the White Suit is evil," he said, "We know he's up to something, and whatever it is, it can't be good."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," interrupted Timmy, "Anything else."

"He can erase himself from people's memories," added Jimmy, passing Timmy a glare, "He has dark powers of some sort, and he's planning something _today_. Danny checked, and Plasmius is making a speech at ten this morning. I think that's when he'll strike."

"Great," nodded Danny, "What about the robot?"

"It's…complicated," admitted Jimmy, "I've been working on repairing it, but it's badly damaged. The design's sophisticated – the creator must be a _genius_. Whatever it is, we need it fixed."

He stopped at the head of the table.

"Here's our plan," he said, "Tucker and Sandy will stay back here and work on fixing the robot. Danny, you and Sam will cover our backs, make sure the Syndicate or Amity Park's ghosts don't try anything. Jazz will be back here – I've got a satellite view of Amity Park and she'll warn us if anyone else comes. The rest of us will head straight in and attack the Man in the White Suit. Any questions?"

Spongebob raised his hand.

"Can we get ice cream when we're done?" he asked.

Jimmy facepalmed.

"Just get ready to go," he sighed.

* * *

"Mr. Crocker? Do you have the list?" asked the Man in the White Suit.

Crocker, Calamitous and Plankton had joined him and Vlad in the latter's limo, headed for the Town Hall. Shaking in fear, Crocker handed him a list.

"Looks about right," he nodded, "Just enough to keep them with false confidence, but just enough to leave them isolated."

He put the list down.

"A perfect balance."

"Wouldn't you want to just finish them off now?" asked Plankton, "Why not just cut this master plan crud and just destroy them?"

"Because if your enemy has hope, he's vulnerable," replied the Man in the White Suit, "He'll limit his power to save it for the next fight. He'll plan for tomorrow. He'll fight, certainly, but he'll be holding back."

His expression darkened.

"But he thinks he's _doomed_," he continued, "He won't hold back. He'll use everything at his disposal in one last rage against fate. He will fight until he burns out."

He looked Plankton straight in the eye. Plankton looked away, shuddering.

"An enemy with nothing to lose," the Man in the White Suit snarled, "Has _everything_ to gain."

"So…" mused Crocker, confused, "We want them to have a chance to win…so we can _beat them?_ That's oddly complex."

"Nobody ever won with simple plans," said Vlad, gazing out the window.

"Feeling more confident, Mr. Masters?" quizzed the Man in the White Suit.

Vlad didn't reply.


	3. Chapter 2: Plan

Alright guys, drinking game - take a shot whenever my updates are hideously slow. =P

Review replies;

**TweenisodeOrange:** Well, a dumb villain wouldn't be a threat, would he? :P Unless he's a radioactive caveman, I guess... Thanks for reading!

**SOLmaster:** Oh, it may be a while before they can have icecream...*evil laugh* Thanks for reviewing!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Oh you'll see, my friend, you'll see. Thanks for the review!

* * *

**Chapter Two: Plan**

Danny and Sam were standing on the roof of an apartment across the road from City Hall, looking over the courtyard of the building. A crowd had gathered, along with several news crews from all of the major new agency. Vlad had upped security, but that was mainly ordinary police officers, and they were there to guard the mayor, not the Man in the White Suit. The latter was nowhere in sight.

"Come on," snapped Danny, squinting, "He's in a white suit – he should stand out!"

"Is it that guy?" mused Sam, pointing into the crowd.

"It might be...no, that's Doug Dimmadome," sighed Danny.

* * *

"Why are we here?" sighed ManRay.

He, the Dirty Bubble, Ember, Francis and Dr. Moist were standing in the back alley behind the City Hall, looking very bored.

"You heard the Mayor," replied the Dirty Bubble, "We guard his speech, he pays us, and we go home."

"And then I wake up," added Francis, "Because Crocker says this is a dream."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, kid," sighed Ember.

All of a sudden, there was a loud _clunk_.

"What was that?" demanded the Dirty Bubble.

"Probably a trash can," shrugged Ember, "Who cares?"

"It sounded like it was around the corner," mused ManRay, "We should inspect it, just to be sure. Dr. Moist?"

Dr. Moist strode around the corner. There was a moment's silence.

"_Patrick Smash!_"

Dr. Moist came flying backwards, slamming face first into an open dumpster.

Patrick ran out from behind the corner, followed by Timmy, Jimmy, Spongebob and Dani. Timmy was giving Patrick an unimpressed glare.

"Would it kill you to be subtle?" sighed Timmy.

"Aha! A challenge worthy of my skill!" exclaimed ManRay.

"Get 'em!" shouted Francis.

The bully charged, and was immediately brought down by Timmy's Starflinger.

"We got this!" he said, "Keep going!"

Jimmy and Spongebob ran into City Hall as Timmy, Dani and Patrick charged their foes.

* * *

"You're on in two minutes, sir."

The Man in the White Suit nodded and waved away the intern. He and Vlad were in the entrance hall of the building, the former preparing to step out onto the podium.

"Thousands of years, Mr. Masters," he whispered, "I've been working at this for thousands of years, and the time is finally right."

He turned to Vlad.

"I must thank you, Vladimir," he said, with a tone of sincere gratefulness, "Your help these past months has been immeasurable_._ Unleashing Zwarte Pete, getting me that script, organizing this conference..."

He grinned.

"I could never have done this without you, Vladimir Masters," he said, "Whatever happens next...remember that."

Vlad nodded, suppressing an involuntary shudder.

"Now," said the Man, turning to the door, "History awaits."

* * *

"Hey, check it out!"

Tucker was sitting next to the robot, laid out on Jimmy's bed. His PDA was connected to its head by an extension cord. Sandy was on the other side, trying to repair some of the damage.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I've been running an anti-virus," replied Tucker, 'Told it to keep an eye out for any files on the Guy in the Suit as well. I found a file on him – managed to decrypt it."

"Shoot," nodded Sandy.

"It's a photo, dated 1926," said Tucker, "Take a look."

He showed Sandy the screen.

An assortment of figures was gathered at the door to a building ('The Lexington Hotel', the caption said). To the left of the photograph was Al Capone, dressed in his best with a suit and fedora. Behind him were two big, unhappy looking gentlemen with heavy scars and violin cases.

To the right was the Man in the White Suit.

"But...that ain't possible!" breathed Sandy, "He'd have to be over a hundred, at least!"

"I'm calling it," said Tucker, "He's a ghost."

"But wouldn't that set off your friend's ghost sense?" quizzed Sandy.

"Point taken," nodded Tucker, "Maybe he's a demon..."

All of a sudden, the photo was replaced by a stream of data flowing across the PDA screen. Tucker jumped, and held it close.

"What's happening to you, girl?!" he exclaimed, frantically pressing buttons.

"I think it's comin' back online!" exclaimed Sandy.

"Don't blow up my PDA, _don't blow up my PDA!"_ cried Tucker.

The robot's eyes burst open and it sat up.

"What happened? Wh-where am I?!" she exclaimed.

"Take it easy," soothed Sandy, "You're fine."

"But the Man in the..."

"Don't worry," replied Tucker, "Danny and Jimmy are dealing with him before he makes his speech..."

"_No!_"

She stood up, clenching the pigtail-like extensions on her head.

"You have to warn your friends!" she warned, "He knows you're coming! It's a trap!"

* * *

ITS A TRAP


	4. Chapter 3: Fall

That's an optimistic title.

Review replies;

**SOLmaster:** Probably more traps. =P Thanks for reading!

**TweenisodeOrange:** At least this time it hasn't been month. :D Thanks for reviewing!

**Guest:** And I should like to see this poll, but sadly, you seem to be posting a guest review. :) Anyway, thanks for the review!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** I was always gonna tie them all together. Like the Avengers, y'know, but with much lower production values. :D Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Three: Fall**

The Man in the White Suit stepped onto the podium. Newspaper photographers in the audience began to take pictures, but he didn't even react to the bright flashes. He simply took his place behind the microphone and began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your time."

* * *

Jimmy and Spongebob ran into the entrance hall, finding Vlad alone. He was looking at the door, his shoulders hunched. It looked almost as if he regretted something.

Hearing his uninvited guests, he straightened up and turned around.

"You're too late," he sniffed, "He's already out there."

"So?" snapped Jimmy, "We'll just wreck his speech. Easy!"

"It's not that simple," growled Vlad, "For one, you'd have to get through me to do that. And besides..."

He glanced to the door again, a dark glare on his face.

"He's already won."

* * *

"Some of you, I have already met, already spoken to. They probably don't remember me, but I told them that there would come a time when I required their assistance..."

* * *

Jazz was sitting in front of the VOX screen, looking bored. Suddenly, the screen started flashing.

A surge of energy has been detected, right in the middle of Amity Park.

"That can't be good..."

* * *

"In the past few days, I've run announcements on the major television channels throughout the world – chances are, you saw one, although I doubt you'd recall it."

* * *

"Wait, what do you mean a trap?" demanded Tucker, "Like an ambush or something?"

"Worse," replied the robot, "He's been planning this for centuries! Mom did research on him, that's why he came for us..."

"Robots have moms?" Sandy whispered to Tucker.

"He has this...what'd mom call it..._mimetic phrase_, he could use to control people's thoughts," explained the robot, "A sentence he can say to implant something in their heads."

* * *

_There will come a time when I need assistance. Until then – forget you saw me._

Danny and Sam were standing on the roof of the building, watching the Man, when Danny's eyes widened.

"Wait a minute, I remember him now," he realised, "He said something to me before he gave me to the Shadowed One..."

"...yeah, me too, after the fight with Aragon," nodded Sam, "How'd we forget that?"

"_Forget you saw me..._" whispered Danny.

* * *

"Now, the time has come. The time for me to reveal why I am here, the time to change the course of history..."

* * *

"What do you mean he's already won?" snapped Spongebob, "He's just outside the door, right? We can just steal the microphone!"

"But he's _already_ broadcasted his message," warned Vlad, "Right into the tiny little brains of the general public! They're already conditioned; he just needs to give the order!"

"_What?"_ demanded Jimmy.

"He's just one phrase away from victory, James," snarled Vlad, "You don't stand a chance."

* * *

"The time has come to call upon the assistance I required, the favour I asked..."

* * *

"He's broadcasted that sentence through everything," finished the robot, "Radios, TV, the Internet, even _books_, over all the worlds he could reach!"

"Including Bikini Bottom," nodded Sandy.

"...and Retroville," added Tucker, "But if that's true, and he's making a speech right now..."

"He can control the world with one word," whispered the robot.

* * *

One word, heard around the world.

One word, told to a crowd of hundreds in front of Amity Park City Hall.

One word, locally translated, to every television set on the Earth.

One word, filtered into every computer screen at the moment it was said.

One word, slipped into every book, hidden among the words until the time was right.

One word, across the planet...

"..._Submit._"

* * *

The Man in the White Suit seemed to explode into pure darkness, forcing open the door to City Hall.

Jimmy and Spongebob watched in horror as it spread across the crowd. As it did, their eyes turned black, their skin paled, and they shifted to stand at attention.

The very bricks and masonry of the nearby buildings seemed to turn dirtier, more forlorn, weeds and vines sifting through them. The sky clouded over, and the world turned dark.

Jimmy grabbed his recaller and shouted into it.

"Danny! Get outta there!"

* * *

_"Danny! Danny, pick up!"_

Danny and Sam stood at attention on the roof of the building. Their skin was pale, their eyes black.

They had submitted.

* * *

"...uh, no-one said anything about this," gulped the Dirty Bubble.

He and ManRay were pinned by Dani, while Timmy was aiming the Starflinger at a downed Ember. All parties had stopped fighting, and were looking at the sky in awed shock.

"We're doomed," gulped Timmy.

* * *

The energy pulse on the VOX screen exploded.

Jazz jumped back as a loud beeping filled the air, and the display began to turn red. Flashing lights appeared over every major city on Earth and began to spread.

"That's...really not good," she gulped.

* * *

Tucker, Sandy and the robot stared out the window as Retroville changed before their eyes. The road outside became cracked and full of potholes. The trees shrivelled up and died.

"He actually did it," gasped Sandy, "That varmint actually did it."

Tucker nodded, and turned to the robot.

"By the way, we never got your name."

* * *

London. Moscow. Tokyo. New York. Cairo. Sydney. Brasilia. Leeds.

Everywhere on Earth, legions of ordinary people stopped what they were doing and stood to attention. The skies turned dark, the buildings become rundown. Trees died, water became a murky brown. The whole world changed in an instant.

Then, as one, they said three words.

"We will obey."

* * *

Well, this is bad...


	5. Chapter 4: Files

Yes! Yes! It _liiiiives!_

Sorry for the hiatus - I had my Halloween challenge and a holiday in Victoria.

Review replies;

**TweenisodeOrange:** Ah, yes, who doesn't love Tucker? =P Thanks for reading!

**RunnerAwaker:** Ooh, I won't lie, I'm intrigued. :) Thanks for reviewing!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** You might even say they're royally screwed. :P Thanks for the review!

**SOLmaster:** I'm more worried about how they'll get their ice cream now. :[ Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Four: Files**

_"...hello, if you're picking this up...Gunnery Sergeant Hoffman...__Marines. I don't know what's happened...most of my company...rebelled. All remaining marines fall back...regroup at...over."_

Jazz turned off the radio.

"We've got a few transmissions," she shrugged, "Mostly from people out in the country, or away from widespread TV access."

She, Sandy, Tucker and the robot were gathered in Jimmy's Lab, trying to work out what was going on.

"Mustn't have been able to see that mimetic thing," mused Tucker, "Looks like the main unaffected places are...bases, isolated villages, temples..."

"Well shoot, that's great," said Sandy, dryly, "We can go hide with some Tibetan monks."

Suddenly, Jimmy's portal activated, and Timmy, Patrick and Dani tumbled out. All were a bit worse for wear, but otherwise unharmed.

"What's going on?" demanded Tucker, "Where's Danny?"

"I dunno," groaned Timmy, "We tried to wait but we got swarmed by an angry mob..."

"So, I take it you noticed the mind control, then," shrugged the robot.

Timmy blinked.

"Oh, hey, the robot's working again!" he exclaimed.

"'The robot' has a name," grunted the robot.

"Timmy, this is Jenny," introduced Jazz, "She can help us..."

The portal activated again, and Jimmy and Spongebob emerged. Ignoring everyone else in the lab, Jimmy raced for the computer. He began to type furiously on the keyboard.

"Uh, Jim?" quizzed Timmy, "What're you doing?"

"Securing the lab," snapped Jimmy, "We can't let any of the Man's slaves get in here. Ah, crud, how did I not see this coming, I'm supposed to be..."

"Where's Danny?" Tucker asked again.

"_Where do you think?!_" snapped Jimmy, loudly.

For a moment, all went silent, save for the sound of fingers on a keyboard. Eventually, Jimmy finished, and turned his chair around.

"...so what do we do?" asked Spongebob.

Jimmy shook his head.

"I don't know," he replied, solemnly, "He's been planning this for _millennia_, and us? We're just kids! We're in _way_ over our heads..."

"So we're just gonna give up?" demanded Jenny.

Jimmy turned to face her.

"Oh, hey, when did you turn on?"

Jenny ignored him.

"Mom spent _weeks_ looking him up," she snapped, "She backed up all of that information on my hard drive before he attacked us."

"So, you've got info on him in your head?" quizzed Timmy, "Can you access it?"

"No, it's all encrypted," replied Jenny, "It was the most secure method she could think of, I don't think I can access it – anyway, the point is, if she found a way, maybe we..."

She was cut off by the cracking of knuckles.

"_Encrypted_, you say?" Tucker quizzed, eyebrow raised.

* * *

"This is _wrong_," grunted Timmy.

Jenny was attached by a cord to the lab's main computer, which was also attached to Tucker's PDA. Tucker was fiddling with his handheld device, ignoring the slightly nervous glances Jenny kept passing him.

"Finally," he grinned, "I get to test my latest invention-"

"Hey!" snapped Jimmy, "That's _my_ line!"

"My latest invention," continued Tucker, ignoring the irate boy genius, "_Tuckcryptor!_"

"...you called it 'Tuckcryptor'," repeated Dani, dryly.

"Uh-huh," nodded Tucker, brightly, "Now, way I see it, your mom would have hidden this file in the most secure place in your hard drive – your subconscious. So, I'm just gonna peek around..."

"You're gonna look at my _subconscious?_" exclaimed Jenny.

"Don't worry, it's all in binary," shrugged Tucker.

"Can you read binary?"

Tucker didn't answer.

"Okay, we're in!" he exclaimed, "Let's see...basic emotions, complex emotions, memories, hopes, fears, desires...who's Brad?"

Jenny shot him a glare.

"...uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh – aha! Man in White Suit! Let's crack this open!" exclaimed Tucker.

"Could you _not_ say 'crack this open' when you're talking about my head?" asked Jenny.

Tucker opened the file, and it appeared on the VOX screen.

"That's it?" quizzed Patrick.

It was a series of numbers, seven in all, arranged over a blank white screen; 4-9-1-12-19-9-24.

"Well, what the heck does that mean?" Timmy asked aloud.

Jimmy scratched his chin before clicking his fingers.

"Its number code!" he exclaimed, "Let's see...4 equals D, 9 equals...it's 'Dial Six!'"

"I'll get the phone!" grinned Spongebob.

"No, not on the phone!" said Jimmy, running over to the portal, "On _this!_"

He lifted one of the panels, revealing a dial underneath.

"Every wormhole operates in the same basic way – the Einstein Rosen Bridge," explained Jimmy, "Think of a bridge – when you get right down to it, the only difference between an underpass and the Golden Gate Bridge is scale."

"Yeah, uh, you've lost me," said Jenny.

"My portal's set up for travel between our worlds – that's about a three on the power scale," explained Jimmy, "But if I double the power, we'll be able to go _beyond_ that and into totally different dimensions!"

"Really?" quizzed Dani, "We can do that?"

"Well, that or we'll cause a resonance cascade and end the world," shrugged Jimmy, "Here we go!"

He turned the dial.

There was a loud bang – half of the machines in the lab began to spark, and the lights flickered. The portal turned from green to purple, before gradually becoming clear.

"Is that the Ghost Zone?" quizzed Dani.

"No, but it could be similar," replied Jimmy.

They were looking at a realm consisting of floating rocks in an endless purple void peppered with red stars. In the middle, however, was a rock carving of a man in ornate, ceremonial looking robes – a man with a familiar face.

"...I think we found our guy," nodded Jenny.

"This must be where he came from," agreed Sandy, "If there's anywhere to beat that varmint..."

"...it'll be in there," said Jimmy, "Alright, we'll need to wait for the portal to 'set' before we go in..."

"...or what?" demanded Timmy.

"Or it'll turn you inside out," replied Jimmy, matter-of-factly, "Everyone, get some rest – we'll hit the portal first thing tomorrow morning."

* * *

Vlad had to admit, the Man in the White Suit had taste.

He had made his headquarters at the top of New York's Chrysler Building, within its great steel crown. The man himself had converted the entire top floor into his own throne room, and was now sitting on a oak throne – gold was, apparently, too tacky. He still wore the suit – "I have to say, Vladimir, your race has a fine sense of attire," he'd said – but was now flanked by two guards – Danny and Sam, decked in Roman-esque armour made from a gold-like material.

Plankton, Calamitous and Crocker were standing with the half-ghost billionaire, all as privately discontented as he was – although Vlad was doing a much better job at hiding it. They had good reason – none of the Man's promises to them had yet been fulfilled...

* * *

I heart the Chrysler Building. And Romans. And suits.


	6. Chapter 5: Breach

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!

Review replies;

**Blue lightening:** Thanks, mate!

**RunnerAwaken:** Hmm, I'll check it out when I have a minute. Thanks for reading!

**SOLmaster:** Then wait no more, my friend! Thanks for reviewing!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Nah, the White House is too cliche, methinks. =P Thanks for the review!

**TweenisodeOrange:** I guess we can say you are possibly maybe okay then. :) Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Five: Breach**

The lab was dark. Jimmy was slouched over his chair, snoring lightly – the rest of the team were on the floor in sleeping bags. Not far away, the portal shimmered silently, aligning itself with the bizarre realm beyond.

Timmy was lying on the floor. He was having trouble sleeping, and was just about to roll over and give it another try when he heard a hiss.

"Timmy?"

Timmy groaned, and rolled over.

"_Timmy?_"

"Ugh...yeah?"

He rolled to the other side. Dani was next to him, staring at the ceiling.

"Do you think we can beat him?" she asked.

"Beat who?" asked Timmy, drowsily.

Dani shot him a glare.

"Oh, right," nodded Timmy, "Uh...yeah, I guess so. I mean, we haven't been beaten yet, have we?"

"But we've never had to fight the _whole world_ before, either," reminded Dani.

"That's a pretty good point," admitted Timmy, "But we will win, because we are awesome. And when we're done, we'll all go get that ice cream, and everything will be fine."

He yawned.

"Goodnight," he said, turning over again.

"But what if we _don't _win?"

Timmy rolled back over.

"Dani, that's not gonna happen," he said, "I promise."

There was a short silence, before Dani nodded and smiled slightly.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just being paranoid," she sighed, "Goodnight, Timmy."

"Goodnight, Dani."

Timmy rolled over and closed his eyes. A minute later, he felt someone grip his hand – he gripped back and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen," snapped Jimmy, "It's time."

He, Timmy, Spongebob, Jenny and Dani were standing in front of the portal. Behind them, Tucker had taken up position at the VOX keyboard, while Jazz, Patrick and Sandy were off to the side, waiting for them to leave.

"Alright, refresher on the plan," barked Jimmy, "Tucker, you're on VOX – if the Man in the White Suit does anything, let us know. Jazz, Pat and Sandy are our backup – if anything happens to us, you follow us through the portal. Everyone clear?"

"Clear," said Tucker.

"As crystal," nodded Jazz.

"Wait, can you go over that again?" asked Spongebob, but he was ignored.

"Everyone ready?" quizzed Jimmy, "Let's do this."

He readied his Tornado Blaster and stepped forward. Behind him, he heard a poof as Cosmo and Wanda morphed into the Starflinger and Timmy began to follow.

"Right behind you, fudgehead," he grinned.

Jimmy nodded. Breathing deeply, he stepped into portal.

It was like stepping through a cold waterfall, but other than that, there was little sensation. The air on the other side felt cooler then the lab – there was no wind. He was standing on a small rock, floating in the vast purple expanse.

"Okay guys, we're good," he called.

"You might wanna stand back," Timmy replied.

"Why would I wanna..."

Jimmy yelped and leapt to the side as the Hovercraft came hurtling through the portal, Timmy at the controls.

"Thought we might need this," he shrugged, "I mean, most of us can't _fly_, you know..."

"Yeah, uh...thanks," nodded Jimmy, peeling himself off the ground.

"No problem," grinned Timmy.

He jumped down from the hovercraft as Spongebob, Dani and Jenny emerged from the portal.

"So, what now?" asked Spongebob.

Jimmy looked around. To the left of the rock, a short distance away, was a small brick building, about three stories high. To the right, slightly further away, was what looked like part of a heavily damaged French town. Across the void was the bust of the Man, floating ominously before them.

"We scout," replied Jimmy, "We need to know what we're up against before we go across."

He turned to face the rest of the group.

"Let's split up," said Jimmy, "Jenny, you and I will check out that building. Dani, you lead Timmy and Spongebob over to the village. We'll meet you there."

"...so we walked into an alien dimension and your first idea is to split up?" quizzed Wanda.

"Are you questioning my planning?" demanded Jimmy.

"No," replied Wanda, rolling her eyes, "Not at all."

"Good," nodded Jimmy, "We'll meet up in about two hours. Good luck."

* * *

The Man in the White Suit was seated upon his throne, slouching to the side as he waited for his audience to arrive.

Professor Calamitous crept into the room, shuddering as the eyes of both the man and his guards came upon him. He slowly walked up to the throne and knelt.

"Professor," said the Man, smiling smugly, "I need you to collect something for me. A device – I think you might be interested."

"A-and wh-what would that b-b-be?" asked Calamitous.

"It's a CIA contraption," replied the Man, "They called it the 'Chronomancer'. It is supposedly capable of erasing an individual from a world's history."

He leant closer.

"You can understand why I might want that."

Calamitous nodded.

"It is held in Area 51," continued the Man, "Transport will be provided to you. Now get going."

Calamitous gulped and practically sprinted out of the room.

The Man rolled his eyes and began to speak to no-one in particular.

"Now," he said, "I do believe we have trespassers in my realm. We cannot allow that, can we?"

The shadows in the room shifted, tearing away and forming a group of vaguely humanoid shadows, which quickly converged on the man.

"Root them out, would you kindly?" he hissed.

* * *

Lets split up gang!


	7. Chapter 6: Void

Onwards yet onwards! :D

Review replies;

**TweenisodeOrange:** Yes, but that's a matter for another day. =P Thanks for reading!

**SOLmaster:** 'Let's split up, gang!' :P No, it isn't gonna be easy at all. Thanks for reviewing!

**Autobot-Outcast: **Mmmmaaaaaaybe... Thanks for the review!

* * *

**Chapter Six: Void**

"Look at that void," Spongebob whispered, "So large and endless like..._an endless void..._"

"Yeah, thank you Mr. Obvious," grunted Timmy.

"You're welcome," replied Spongebob, brightly.

The group was wandering along the rock towards the village, not far from the edge. From there, they could see the endless void stretch in all directions – and little else. Eye-spy would have been quite a drag.

"Well, on the bright side," shrugged Dani, "At least we're alone, right?"

_Click._

"Hands where I can see 'em!"

A small squad of soldiers was standing in front of them, weapons readied.

"Oh, you just _had_ to say that," grunted Timmy.

* * *

Jimmy and Jenny crept through the darkened, dusty old building. There was no-one in sight, but its layout suggested that it may have come from a university.

"Fascinating," whispered Jimmy, looking at an old blackboard, "Look at the date!"

"November 21st 1902," read Jenny, "No wonder there's so much dust in here."

"1902," wondered Jimmy, "Imagine – the Gilded Age, a simpler time, before the World Wars. No TV, no internet, no CDs or MP3s, no cars, no air-conditioning..."

He paused.

"Glad we live in the twenty-first century, huh?" Jenny asked, brow raised.

"_Very._"

He looked further down the hallway – a little glimmer of light was visible under the door.

"...wait, someone's here," he realised.

He drew his Tornado Blaster.

"Follow me and get ready."

Jenny nodded, and produced a large rocket-launcher from her arm. Jimmy stared at it for a moment in slight envy, before creeping onwards.

Carefully, Jimmy reached for the doorknob and slid it open.

_Thwack!_

He was thrown back by the force of...a pile of newspapers?

"Oh, sorry, good man!"

A man in suspenders and a green bow-tie burst out the door, reaching down and helping Jimmy to his feet. The stranger wore old-style glasses and the chain of a fob watch was visibly running from his pocket. He was clearly not from the twenty-first century.

"My apologies, I was expecting a break in!" the man spluttered, "Dr. James Thourrel, Princeton University, may I help you?"

"Princeton?" quizzed Jimmy.

"Of course...well, it _used_ to be Princeton, I haven't a _clue_ where we are now," muttered Dr. Thourrel, "What is the date, anyway, I believe I've been stuck here for three months..."

"It's uh, the 21st century," replied Jimmy, "The year..."

"_21__st__ century!_" exclaimed Dr. Thourrel, "So I've experienced time dilation! _Fascinating!_ Tell me, dear boy – did anything ever become of that 'flight' fad?"

"Well, yeah," shrugged Jimmy.

"_Marvellous!_"

He turned to Jenny.

"Aha! A _humanoid automation!_" he blurted, "I had believed such things were restricted to Wells and Verne! Tell me, how does it work?"

"_It_ has a name," snapped Jenny.

"Oh, it's sentient! _Incredible!" _grinned Dr. Thourrel, "Must mean you have some kind of _computing device_ in your head – smaller then I would have expected..."

"Yeah, we don't have time for this," snapped Jimmy, "Look, I'm Jimmy Neutron, and this is Jenny. We need to find out what's on the statue rock."

"Shadows," snapped Dr. Thourrel, "Dozens of them."

"...shadows," repeated Jenny, unconvinced.

"_Living_ shadows," elaborated Dr. Thourrel, "That cad in the white suit's minions – rarely seen, but agile and impervious to firearms. They're the ones who sent me to this blasted void."

"Wait, you know the Man in the White Suit?" quizzed Jenny.

"Know him? He tried to steal my research! Said it was for the greater good!" thundered Dr. Thourrel, "Those radio improvements were to be used for _good_, not for the...the _abomination_ he desired!"

"The broadcast," whispered Jimmy.

"All radios constructed to my plans would have been malleable to his desires," growled Dr. Thourrel, "And of course, he sold it to Marconi – that man would build a radio station on the moon if he could. By your time, he'd had likely introduced my principles to every communications device on Earth."

"So that's how he did it," realised Jimmy.

"Well, that and the dark powers, I guess," shrugged Jenny.

"So he's already done it," muttered Dr. Thourrel, "And yet, you don't seem to think you're too late to stop him."

"Hey, we save the world," shrugged Jenny, "It's what we do."

Dr. Thourrel grinned.

"Well, I like that attitude!" he grinned, "Come! I have something that might just help you..."

* * *

"So let me get this straight, corporal" Lieutenant Bailey sighed, "You saw three unarmed children walking around looking not the least bit threatening, and you took them in as POWs."

"Yes sir."

"_Genius._"

Spongebob, Timmy and Dani had been brought to a command post in a wrecked apartment building, where a weary looking lieutenant was reprimanding the squad that had captured them.

"To be fair, sir," a sergeant interrupted, "That boy does have a gun-like weapon..."

"...which is bright green and has a _smiley face on it,_" snapped Lieutenant Bailey.

"Keep smiling," hissed Timmy.

"But my mouth is hurting," whispered Cosmo.

"Apologies, sir, I was just saying..." replied the sergeant.

"I know, Edwards, I know," grunted Bailey.

He turned to the group.

"So, why are you here?" he asked.

"We're trying to stop the Man in the White Suit," replied Spongebob, "Can you help?"

"That gent," hissed Bailey, "You missed him by about four weeks."

"We know," replied Dani, "We think there might be something on his rock that can beat him."

"...and how do you intend to get over there?" demanded Bailey.

"In our hovercraft, duh," snapped Timmy.

"Riiight," grunted Bailey, "Look, unless you can show me this..."

He trailed off as the Hovercraft floated into view, landing in the street outside.

"...I'm not even surprised anymore," grunted Edwards.

"You and me both," sighed Bailey.


	8. Chapter 7: Rock

Must...resist urge...to sing...Goofy Goober Rock...

Review replies;

**Raelene:** Well, um, this is soonish, right? =P Thanks for reading!

**SOLmaster:** We shall see, we shall see. ;D Thanks for reviewing!

**Night-Walker:** The cool kids who don't have spaceships, anyway. :D Thanks for the review!

**TweenisodeOrange:** I was hoping you would - he's a lot of fun to write. :) Thanks very much!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Well, I never leave a useful character behind. Except when I do. :| Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Rock**

"So let me get this straight – you want me to donate the support of my platoon to three kids, a robot, a mad scientist and a _sponge_ so that we might stop an evil demon-creature from controlling the world."

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," shrugged Jimmy.

"That is completely _insane_," grunted Bailey, "But what other options do I have?"

"That's the spirit!" grinned Spongebob.

The group was gathered by the Hovercraft. Jimmy had started the machine up, ready to head off to the rock.

"Okay, here's the plan," he said, "Lieutenant, you and your men head back to our portal – make sure the 'shadows' don't try to get into my lab. Everyone else, get on the hovercraft, we're heading up to the rock."

"…so you _don't_ want the armed soldiers with you when you go up there?" quizzed Bailey.

"Bullets won't affect them, my good man," shrugged Dr. Thourrel.

"Alright," grunted Bailey, "We'll meet back at your…err…portal. Good luck. Platoon, move out."

The soldiers began to walk away as the rest of the group piled into the hovercraft.

"Ready, guys?" asked Jimmy, "I don't know what we'll find out there. You can still back out."

"No, we really can't," muttered Timmy, "Let's just do this."

Jimmy nodded and activated the machine. The hovercraft lifted upwards, heading into the unknown…

* * *

"We have a prisoner, milord."

The Man in the White Suit raised his eyebrow as two of his guards dragged a prisoner into the throne room.

"The Red Huntress," he nodded, "I would have hoped my controlling influences would've accounted for you. How did you escape?"

Valerie glared up at him but said nothing.

"Of course, I know the answer to that," noted the Man, "I didn't want to control you – not immediately. For you see, I saw your actions during the Orb of Power incident. Your abilities are remarkable…for an ordinary individual."

"You bugged us?" demanded Valerie.

"Yes," said the Man, bluntly, "But that is hardly the point. The point is, I can get more out of you if you join me willingly then if I were to control you."

He stood up, walking over to the window and looking out over the city.

"Think of it, Ms. Grey," he implored, "You are a far greater asset then any of the self-serving cretins I call subordinates. They will be disposed of, in time, but you?"

He turned to face Valerie again.

"I can offer you so much," he grinned, "I can offer all the equipment and resources you need to continue to hunt ghosts. I can offer the return of the social status you lost to Danny Phantom. I can move you out of that apartment to far grander accommodations then you could even dream of. I can offer you anything you wish – all you need to do is join me."

He knelt down in front of Valerie.

"So what do you say, my dear?"

There was a short silence.

Then Valerie spat right in his face.

"I'll _never_ join you," she snarled.

The Man wiped his face and scowled.

"That was a _very _poor choice," he snapped, "You don't understand, Ms. Grey, all I do here is to defend this insignificant ball of dirt from a threat far greater than your limited intellect can even fathom, and I will not allow you or anyone else to jeopardise my plans."

He turned to the guards.

"Take her away," he demanded, "Deal with her, I don't care how. If she escapes, it will be on your heads."

"Yes, milord."

The two guards began to drag Valerie out again.

"I'll be back for you!" shouted Valerie, "You hear me! You won't get away with this!"

The Man watched her as she was taken out the door, before sitting down again.

"For your sake," he muttered, "I hope I do."

* * *

The hovercraft touched down on the side of the rock, just on the edge of the left eye socket. Dani climbed out first and looked ahead.

"He made a cave out of his eyes," she noted, "That's not creepy _at all._"

"A little help, my good man?"

Dani turned around. Spongebob and Dr. Thourrel were heaving a large machine out of the hovercraft. It looked like an electrical coil crossed with the stock and trigger of a gun.

"Tesla Coil!" exclaimed Thourrel, placing it on the ground, "Fires a 1.21 gigawatt electrical bolt up to twenty yards! The shadows react quite badly to it! Unfortunately, it's 25 kilograms, so we will require two men to operate..."

Jenny picked up the Tesla Coil with ease. Dr. Thourrel stared at her for a few seconds, mouth agape.

"...that works too!" he said at last.

"Alright, everyone stay close," hissed Jimmy, "We don't know what we'll find in there."

"Ah man, you mean we're going into his eyes?!" demanded Timmy, "Aaaggh, that's just _icky!_"

"Live with it, Turner," grunted Jimmy, rolling his eyes.

The group made their way into the cave, the fairies providing light from their wands. For a long time, nobody spoke – all was quiet, save for eerie echoes and groans in the distance.

Then, suddenly, Cosmo spoke up.

"Hey, someone built a bench in here!"

"Cosmo, that's not a bench, that's a table!" snapped Timmy.

On the wall ahead, a small stone table rested against a wall covered in ancient sprawl. A small box sat in the middle of the table.

"An _altar,_" breathed Dr. Thourrel.

The group walked over and Jimmy began to read the writing.

"It's...similar to ancient Sumerian," he mused, "I think I can translate this..."

He scratched his chin and studied the writing. A minute later, he snapped his fingers.

"It's a story," he realised.

"Is it about pudding?" quizzed Cosmo.

Jimmy rolled his eyes.

"It's about a man who finds the secret to eternal life," he recounted, "But he finds out about an apocalyptic threat from the gods and tries to find a way to save the world. He builds up his power and becomes nigh-invincible...except in the process, he loses his humanity and becomes the monster he was trying to stop."

He looked down at the box.

"The only remaining part of his humanity is his heart," he finished, "And that...is in this box."

There was a short silence.

"...so he's a pirate?" quizzed Spongebob.

"No, he's not."

"Oh."

"The heart has dissolved into powder," explained Jimmy, "If we open the box, the powder will be scattered into the wind, and he'll be forced out of the human realm."

"Great, let's crack it open!" exclaimed Timmy.

"Not that easy, it's locked," sighed Jimmy, "And the material is completely impenetrable. We'd need the key – which, thankfully for us, is kept right under the bo-"

Jimmy lifted the box. Underneath was an empty rut in the shape of a key.

"..._oh._"

"Yeah, thought he might be a bit too smart for that," grunted Jenny.

"Where'd he put it?" demanded Timmy, "I mean, it can't be that far from here, right?"

"Maybe it's in his jacket," mused Spongebob.

"His jacket?" demanded Jimmy, "Why would he...wait a minute..."

_The door flung open. A man in a white suit strode up to the counter._

_The Man in the White Suit looked at Timmy, and gave him an almost-invisible smirk._

_"Come on, he's in a white suit – he should stand out!"_

_The Man in the White Suit stepped onto the podium._

_Man in the White Suit..._

_White Suit..._

"...why does he always wear that suit?" Jimmy asked.

"Suits have pockets, right?" replied Wanda, "And he'd wanna keep that key as close as possible..."

"...right next to his heart," finished Dani.

"Um, fellows?"

"Of course!" he exclaimed, "That explains the suit! It's not just taste, he's putting the key in his jacket!"

"Fellows?"

"We've nailed him!" grinned Timmy, "All we've gotta do is find him and kick his..."

"_Fellows?"_

All eyes turned to Dr. Thourrel.

"I sincerely hate to interrupt your eureka moment," he gulped, "But I am afraid we have company."

The group turned around.

Dozens of humanoid shadows were melting out of the darkness, surrounding them.

"...aw, _tartar sauce,_" muttered Spongebob.

* * *

Oh dear.


	9. Chapter 8: Return

Just an observation - does anyone else love the new copy-paste thing? It makes life so much easier, am I right?

Anyway, review replies;

**SOLmaster:** She wouldn't indeed. :) In any case, the final battle is fast approaching. Thanks for reading!

**TweenisodeOrange:** Yes, but sadly, the Man in the White Suit has no cool helmet. :( Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Night-Waker:** Sorry, mate, I'll spell it right from now on. Anyway, maybe it is a trap...maybe it isn't... Thanks for the review.

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** You'll see. ;) Suffice to say, I have more fics in this series planned, so... Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Return**

"Well," gulped Dr. Thourrel, as the group backed against the wall, "Any ideas, gentlemen?"

"Just one," gulped Jimmy, "But it's a long shot."

"Better than nothing, spill it!" snapped Timmy.

"Get out the Starflinger," ordered Jimmy, "Dani, prepare an ectoblast on my mark. Jenny, aim the Tesla Coil. Everyone else...hope this works."

* * *

"The Chronomancer," read Crocker, "Is highly unstable and is recommended to be immediately destroyed, lest we accidently unravel the space-time continuum. Signed, Agent Dorian Fletcher."

He shook his head.

"Maybe we _shouldn't_ let him use this thing," he mused.

He, Calamitous and Plankton were gathered in Crocker's van, driving down a lonely desert road with a large trailer attached to the back. They had just passed a sign – 'You are now leaving Nevada, totally not the home of Area 51.'

"We won't," huffed Calamitous, "Since I haven't been handed control of my world, I'm beginning to think that our..._friend_...might have lied to us."

He shook his head.

"No, it's time we went...uh...um..."

"To Florida?" quizzed Crocker.

"Our separate ways?" quizzed Plankton.

"Yes, yes, our separate ways!" exclaimed Calamitous.

"Oh. I wanted to go to Florida," sighed Crocker, dejectedly.

"So, if we're not going back to the Man, where are we going?" asked Plankton.

"Oh, you'll see, you'll see..." sneered Calamitous.

* * *

The Man in the White Suit stood at the window, looking out over the New York skyline. He was flanked by both Danny and another guard.

"For all mankind's deficiencies," mused the Man in the White Suit, "It is hard not to be impressed by this."

He turned to look at Danny. His mouth morphed into what looked like an almost sad smile.

"I can't keep you forever, Mr. Fenton," he whispered, "Sooner or later, your destiny will call, and I will have to let you go."

He put a hand on Danny's shoulder.

"One day, not far from now," he continued, "You and I will enter our endgame – and I will find out if all my preparations have been enough."

He shook his head.

"...and you're not listening to a word I'm saying, are you Mr. Fenton?" he chuckled.

Danny didn't reply.

"You can't hold conversation with the controlled," shrugged the Man, "It just doesn't work."

He walked back to his throne and sat down.

"Ah well," he sighed, "Victory approaches. All we need to do now is deal with..."

"Sir!"

One of his guards entered the throne room, kneeling before his master.

"Yes?" grunted the Man.

"The ambush has failed, sir."

"_What?_"

* * *

"Mark!"

The cave was lit up in a brilliant green, blue and yellow light as Jenny, Dani and Timmy fired at once. The shadows screeched as they were flaked apart by a combination of electricity, ectoplasma and magic, until suddenly, the light died down and the tunnel was clear.

"Alright," nodded Timmy, lowering the Starflinger, "_That_ was the _coolest. Thing. Ever._"

"We're not out of the woods yet, Turner," snapped Jimmy.

"I thought we were in a tunnel," mused Cosmo.

"You know what I mean," grunted Jimmy, "We're gonna make a run for the hovercraft. Keep an eye out for more shadows. Do not stop!"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his recaller.

"Does that work in here?" quizzed Dani.

"Not to make a portal," replied Jimmy, "But it can still make a call..."

* * *

Lieutenant Bailey and his men were gathered outside Jimmy's portal. Bailey was holding a bizarre device that Jimmy had given him before they left...a recaller, he believed.

"_Bailey, come in._"

Bailey pressed a button and replied.

"Yeah?"

"_We're coming back to you,_" said Jimmy, "_Be about thirty seconds._"

"Roger that," nodded Bailey, "Anything we should know?"

"_Uh, yeah, one thing,_" replied Jimmy, "_You might wanna get out of the way before we arrive._"

"Get out of the way?" quizzed Bailey, "You're not seriously going to..."

He looked towards the bust.

A black spec was roaring out of the sky, getting closer and closer.

"...yep, he's gonna do it," grunted Bailey.

He leapt out of the way as the hovercraft thundered by, plunging right into the portal.

"_Bailey, cover us! Don't let any other shadows through!_"

"Just...just let me catch my breath," grunted Bailey.

* * *

Jimmy crawled out of the hovercraft, which had embedded itself on the lab wall. Tucker and Sandy were staring at him, mouths agape.

"What?" he shrugged, "The shadows cut the brakes!"

"Of course they did," nodded Sandy, sounding utterly unconvinced.

"Did you find anything?" asked Tucker.

"Well, yes and no," replied Jenny, lifting the box out of the wrecked hovercraft, "This box has the powdered remains of his heart..."

"..._nice,_" grunted Tucker, disgusted.

"...but we need a key," finished Jenny.

"And the Man in the White Suit has it," grunted Dani.

"So, what now?" asked Sandy.

"Now...now we have no other choice," replied Jimmy, "We have to fight."

* * *

Next chapter...the final battle begins!


	10. Chapter 9: Fight

I'm going to try to get this done within the next two-three weeks. Wish me luck! :)

Review replies;

**Night-Waker:** If Spongebob was driving, all would be lost. XD Thanks for reading!

**SOLmaster:** Those are the best kinds of plans! :P Worry not, the final battle is about to begin! Thanks for reviewing.

**TweenisodeOrange:** Well, here you go. ;) Thanks for the review!

**Fizzucker:** ...um, I'm not doing a Harry Potter fanmake. Perhaps you have me confused for someone else? Thanks anyway, though. :)

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Foreshadowing is fun. =P Anyway, we're now on the final battle, so I hope that setup pays off. Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Fight**

A giant holographic map of New York had been set up on a table in the middle of the main lab floor. The entire group was gathered around – Jimmy had found a stick and was using it to point things out.

"Here's the plan," he said, "According to Tucker, the Man in the White Suit has set up his throne room in the Chrysler Building. Dr. Thourrel, you're gonna be here, on top of the St..."

"Hold on, Chrysler Building?" quizzed Dr. Thourrel, "I haven't heart of a..."

"It's the one with the crown on it," replied Jimmy, "You'll be watching in from this building here. You'll be on overwatch – make sure nothing tries to surprise us."

"Right," nodded Dr. Thourrel, "Seems simple enough, dear boy."

"Sandy, Patrick, Tucker and Jazz will be down here, in the entrance," continued Jimmy, "You're gonna keep the Man's guards off us."

"Great!" grinned Tucker.

There was a brief pause.

"How?" he asked.

"I've...got an invention I want you guys to try out," shrugged Jimmy, "Dani, I want you in the air – I've got a feeling he's got something that can fly, and I want you to deal with it."

"Got it," nodded Dani, "I'll keep the skies clear."

"Timmy, Spongebob, Jenny," Jimmy finished, "You're with me. We're going right to the Man in the White Suit and putting a stop to this."

"Right behind you, Jim," said Timmy, a small grin on his face.

"I'm not gonna lie, the odds are against us," sighed Jimmy, "But we can't think about that. Our friends, our families, Danny – they're all counting on us. We won't fail them."

He looked at the map.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he declared, "Are you with me?"

The group looked at each other. Then they cheered.

* * *

The Man in the White Suit looked down from his window as a portal began to form in the street. It was hard to see – a storm was blowing is, as tends to happen in dramatic final confrontations. The Man crossed his arms – if they were so foolish as to attack him, why were they taking so long to do it?

And then he got his answer.

* * *

"_The road is clear, send it through._"

The portal on the street flashed brightly...and a tank rolled out.

It was a large, chrome beast, hovering above the ground. It had a small, swivelling turret with an upsized version of the Tornado Blaster attached.

"So," Sandy asked into the radio, sitting in the command chair, "The Neutronic Tornado Tank?"

_"I got a taste for it,_" replied Jimmy, sheepishly, "_Trust me, it'll work._"

"Stop them!"

A group of guards ran out of the building, javelins drawn.

The tank swivelled it's turret and fired.

There was a loud bang, and the whole group was blown back, right into a wall. They slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Sandy grinned.

"Y'all might have a point," she conceded, "Patrick, reload the blaster – reckon we might have a bit a' fun with this..."

* * *

A portal opened in the sky, and Dani flew out.

"Alright, I'm in!" she exclaimed, "Also it's raining. This'll be fun."

All of a sudden, she heard a strange screeching noise.

"Well, I think they know I'm here," she gulped.

Two shadows soared out of the sky, screaming towards Dani. She gulped and soared away from them – they immediately gave chase.

"Crud!" exclaimed Dani, "How am I supposed to deal with _two_ of these things? I don't even have a Tesla Coil this time!"

Suddenly, an idea struck her.

"Well, if Danny can do it," she exclaimed, "Then so can I!"

And thus, she tried to duplicate.

_Tried _being the key word.

Her head separated into two, but the second head stayed firmly attached to her body.

Three seconds later, she slammed into the side of a building. The two shadows followed her into the wall, disintegrating like raindrops as they hit.

Dani groaned, and pulled her heads out of the small crater in the side of the building.

"Well," one of her heads sighed, "At least they're dumb."

"Yeah," murmured the other.

She put her heads back together and kicked off the wall, flying back towards the Chrysler Building.

* * *

Valerie sat in a cell, glaring at her guard. She didn't know or care how the Man had fit a cell block into the Chrysler Building – probably the same way he'd put a throne room in there.

"When I get outta here," she snarled to the guard, "I am going to make your master wish he had never been..."

There was a blast of purple light, and the guard was knocked out of sight.

"...wha?"

Vlad Plasmius strode up to the cell door, pulling a key from his coat and unlocking it.

"_You,_" snarled Valerie, "What the heck are you trying to..."

"I'm saving you," replied Vlad, "But if you want to be flippant, I can simply leave you here."

Valerie blinked.

"That's what I thought," nodded Vlad, opening the door.

* * *

"Well, that's their allies deployed," muttered the Man, still looking out the window as Danny and Sam marched in, "But no sign of our true adversary..."

"Master!" shouted Danny, "Portal detected!"

"Where?" snapped the Man.

"Right in front of you, master!" exclaimed Danny.

The Man paused.

"What? But there's nothing..."

He froze, gazing out the window.

"Our portal detector doesn't pick up 3D, does it?" he realised.

Before his eyes, four figures slowly rose up to his window.

Jimmy came first, his jetpack on and his arms crossed. Jenny followed him, holding the Tesla Coil and looking just as unimpressed. Finally, Timmy and Spongebob (wearing what looked like some kind of anti-gravity boots) came into view, carrying the Starflinger and karate gloves respectively.

Jimmy calmly pulled out his Tornado Blaster and fired. The window shattered, letting all of the rain and cold air into the throne room. The Man flinched and jumped back.

The group floated into the throne room, aiming their weapons (or in Spongebob's case, making a karate pose). Jimmy smirked.

"We're back," he said.

* * *

I was listening to the theme to _The Avengers_ while writing that last scene. It felt pretty awesome.


	11. Chapter 10: Darkness

**Gokiburi Prince: **Alrighty then! As long as it works! :D Thanks for reading.

**guest:** Thanks!

**Fizzucker:** It's cool. Thanks for the review!

**3shadowprincess:** And now you know. ;) Thanks for reviewing!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** _Everything_ seems more awesome with that theme playing. :P Glad to see you're liking it. Thanks very much!

**Autobot-Outcast:** Yes, it is an awesome bit of music. ;) Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Darkness**

The Man in the White Suit crossed his arms, gazing calmly at the intruders.

"Ah, Mr. Neutron," he greeted, "Back from intruding in my home?"

"Yeah," snapped Jimmy, "Now I'm gonna kick you out of mine."

"And how exactly do you intend to do that?" demanded the Man, "I am an all powerful force of nature. You are a small boy with a wind blaster."

He sneered.

"But if you so want to fight me," he said, "I shall oblige."

He turned to his guards.

"Mr. Fenton, Ms. Manson," he snapped, "Deal with his companions, but leave Mr. Neutron to me."

Danny nodded.

He stepped forward, rings traversing his body as he changed into his ghost mode. He began to run, leaping at Jenny and tackling her out the window.

Before Timmy and Spongebob could react to this, Sam leapt at them, grabbing both by one hand before leaping after Danny. As she did so, Jimmy caught a glimpse of something on her neck...an amulet?

"That'll keep them occupied," nodded the Man, "Now, I believe you said you were going to kick me out of here?"

His eyes flared red.

"By all means..._kick me out._"

* * *

Dr. Thourrel watched from the roof of a tall building as five figures tumbled down from the top of the Chrysler Building. One figure shifted into a large reptilian creature and pulled up, two of the other figures clinging to its neck. The other two shot off into the sky, exchanging green rays and rockets.

"A dragon," he blurted, "I have now seen everything."

He looked up to the sky – dark clouds loomed overheard, occasionally lit up by lightning. It made a strange contrast against the darkened buildings of Manhattan."

"...wait a minute."

He pressed a button on the new-fangled 'recaller' Jimmy had given him.

* * *

Jenny weaved through the buildings as she dodged ectoplasmic rays. Danny was close behind and gaining – the ability to phase through buildings seemed to be helping him quite a lot.

"_Jenny! I have an idea!_"

Jenny winced as she received a radio transmission.

"Kinda busy, she asked, "What is it?"

_"__I think I can supercharge the Tesla Coil!"_

"Really?" quizzed Jenny, ducking through an alleyway, "How?"

_"__The building I'm standing on still has lights – the rest of Manhattan seems to be suffering from a brownout,"_ replied Dr. Thourrel, _"It must have its own power source. I think we can siphon energy from both it and the storm to increase the Tesla Coil by about a thousandfold!"_

"Great, what do I need to do?" asked Jenny.

_"__Make your way over here – I think we can use your body as a conductor!"_

He hung up.

"Well," Jenny muttered dryly, "That sounds fun."

She turned towards the distant tower, with Danny close behind.

* * *

Jimmy ducked as a ray of pure darkness struck the wall behind him, causing a gooey black substance to spread across the wall.

"Oh come on!" demanded the Man in the White Suit, his hands pulsing with darkness, "Is that all you have?"

Jimmy hastily fired the Tornado Blaster at him. The Man swatted the blast away and laughed.

"You're doing a fine job, Mr. Neutron, a fine job!" he sneered.

He shot another beam, Jimmy just barely rolling out of the way.

* * *

Spongebob held on for dear life as Sam roared through the clouds, the deafening wind buffeting him and threatening to throw him off.

"Spongebob!" yelled Timmy, "I got an idea! Climb up to her head!"

"Are you crazy?!" demanded Spongebob.

"Yep!" replied Timmy, "Now go!"

Spongebob gulped as he began to climb up her neck, his eyes tightly shut. He whispered to himself – "dontlookdowndontlookdowndontlookdown" – until eventually, he reached what he thought was her head.

"Alright!" he yelled, "Now what?"

"Bubble soap!" Timmy thundered, "Pour it on her eyes!"

"But..."

"Now!"

Spongebob pulled his bubble soap out of his pocket and opened his eyes.

He was looking directly down as Sam swooped towards the Hudson River.

"_AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

In his panic, Spongebob dropped his bubble soap. The soapy liquid sprayed in Sam's eyes as the bottle plummeted to the river below.

Sam roared and reared up. She began to plummet towards a street in the city below.

"Yeah!" Timmy cheered.

There was a brief pause.

Then he and Spongebob screamed.

Sam hit the ground with a mighty crash, skidding several meters down the road before coming to rest in front of a van, setting off the car alarm in the process.

Timmy and Spongebob fell off of her back and landed on the pavement as the unconscious Sam turned back into human form.

"Ow," muttered Spongebob.

"We're never doing that again," vowed Timmy.

* * *

Jimmy ducked behind the throne, just avoiding yet another blast. The Man in the White Suit laughed cruelly.

"I'm not even trying!" he exclaimed, "I'm toying with you, Mr. Neutron, and you're still squirming for your life!"

Jimmy looked out from behind the throne, but pulled his head back in to avoid another blast.

"If you cannot fight me," demanded the Man, "What chance do you think you have against the Warlord?"

He sneered as dark energy pulsed in his arms.

"Enough games," he snapped, "This ends now."

* * *

Jenny roared towards the tower, Danny hot on her heels.

"Why can't I can't shake him?" she growled to herself.

She looked ahead. Dr. Thourrel was standing on the roof, next to a ugly metal thing he seemed to have built himself. It was pulsing with electricity.

She looked behind her. Danny was gaining – he was almost able to grab her ankle...

Then there was a purple blast, and Danny was sent flying to the right.

"What the..."

She looked to her left. Dani and a girl in a red jumpsuit were hovering to the side, the latter with a smoking blaster on her wrist.

"We'll handle this!" shouted the girl, "Now go!"

Jenny nodded and zoomed towards the metal thing. She reached out and grabbed it.

All of a sudden, it felt like she had been supercharged. Words streamed across her vision.

_POWER LEVELS: 432%. DIVERT TO TESLA COIL? Y/N_

"Divert it, divert it!" shouted Jenny as the Tesla Coil emerged from her arm.

Dr. Thourrel blinked.

"How does that fit..." he began.

"Nanites," shrugged Jenny, "Bye!"

She shot into the air.

"...right, of course," nodded Dr. Thourrel.

* * *

Jimmy was backed against the wall, the Man in the White Suit advancing on him.

"It's a shame you won't live to see my victory, Mr. Neutron," lamented the Man, "I'm sure it will be a glorious thing."

"_Jimmy, get out of there!"_

Jimmy's eyes glanced towards his pocket, where he kept his recaller.

"Take their advise while you still can, boy," snarled the Man, "_Run._"

"_Jimmy, we've got a plan, but you need to get out of the building!_"

Jimmy looked up at the man. He smirked.

"I'm not running," he replied, "I'm just getting some help."

His jetpack activated and he soared towards the window.

"Do it now!" he yelled.

* * *

High above New York, Jenny aimed the Tesla Coil at the spire of the Chrysler Building. Her body was pulsing with thousands and thousands of volts of electricity...and it was made of metal, which made it a natural conductor of lighting.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning hit her body – her power levels spiked, and she sent that energy into the Tesla Coil.

Then she fired.

* * *

Jimmy lost his balance as a massive crack filled the air, and the Chrysler Building was illuminated by lightning. He regained his balance and grinned.

"Nikola Tesla sends his regards!" he shouted, "Time to finish this!"

He rocketed back in the window.

The Man in the White Suit was doubled over in the corner, wincing in pain. Jimmy walked over to him, opened his jacket and reached into his pocket. He grinned as he felt the cool metal key in his hand.

"Do you know what you've done?" whispered the Man.

Jimmy opened his backpack and pulled out the box, paying the Man no attention.

"The Warlord is coming," the Man wheezed, "And you've just doomed all of humanity."

Jimmy looked back at the Man as he put the key into the hole.

"At least I still have my humanity," he said.

He turned the key and opened the box.

A grey powder wafted out of the box and into the wind. The Man's body was engulfed in dark energy – for a few seconds, Jimmy could see not a conqueror, but a sad, defeated old man. Then there was a flash of darkness, and he was gone.

* * *

London. Moscow. Tokyo. New York. Cairo. Sydney. Brasilia. Goulburn.

Everywhere on Earth, legions of ordinary people stopped what they were doing and looked around, scratching their heads in confusion. The skies turned blue, the clouds above them parting. The buildings repaired themselves. Trees revived, water became a clear blue. The whole world changed in an instant.

Then, as one, they began to talk – a melody of confused voices, of people trying to work out how they'd gotten to where they were.

It didn't matter, because before long, a wave of euphoria washed over them.

They were free.

* * *

Bonus points if you can guess what tower they got the electricity from! =P


	12. Chapter 11: Resolution

And here is is, the final chapter!

Review replies;

**SOLmaster:** Of course Jimmy gets the last word, he's the leader. =) Thanks for reviewing!

**Autobot-Outcast:** Nope! Now we just have to wait for the guy he was preparing to fight! Thanks for the review!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Yep! A few are planned, to be precise. ;) Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Resolution**

"Ah _man_, my head hurts."

Danny was slouching over a bowl of ice cream, looking rather tired and worn.

The group had reunited and gotten out of New York quite quickly – the police were already arriving on scene, along with some angry looking men from the government, and they had figured they'd rather not spend the rest of the day being questioned. They'd retreated to the Candy Bar in Retroville, for what Danny had referred to as 'ice cream therapy.'

"Seriously," grumbled Danny, "Did you have to aim for my head?"

"Why not?" shrugged Dani, "It was the biggest target."

"I'm gonna remember that," grunted Danny.

He turned to Sam.

"So...you kept the amulet," he said.

"I did," nodded Sam.

"...and I'm probably not gonna be able to convince you to let it go?" added Danny.

"Nope," said Sam.

"I thought as much," sighed Danny.

Across the table, Jimmy, Timmy and Spongebob were looking over the Man's box.

"So what're gonna do with that thing?" asked Timmy.

"I'm gonna get rid of it," replied Jimmy, "I think it's too dangerous for me to keep. I mean, if it can keep a guy's heart alive outside of his body, what else could it do?"

"So you're not gonna study it or anything?" quizzed Spongebob.

"Nope," said Jimmy, "This thing's going straight into the sun."

"Wow, that's a heck of a way to take out your garbage," nodded Timmy.

"Hey, wait a minute," Spongebob realised, looking around the table, "Where'd Jenny go?"

* * *

Jenny stood outside the Candy Bar, preparing to leave.

"Jenny?"

She turned around. Jimmy was walking out of the building, looking confused.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I have to find my mom," replied Jenny, sadly, "She wasn't in the Man's dungeons, so I figure he put her somewhere else."

"I understand," nodded Jimmy, "Although I was hoping you'd join us permanently..."

"Maybe when I find mom," said Jenny, "But not until I do."

"Well, if you have to leave, take this," replied Jimmy.

He pulled a recaller out of his pocket, handing it to Jenny.

"Just so we can stay in contact," he added.

Jenny smiled.

"Thanks," she said.

"No problem," grinned Jimmy, "It was a pleasant experience to work with you."

"Same here," nodded Jenny, "See you later, Jimmy."

Then there was a loud roar as she rocketed into the blue sky above. Jimmy watched her get further and further until she was just a dot on the horizon.

"Do you think we'll ever see her again?"

Spongebob, Timmy and Danny had followed Jimmy out of the Candy Bar and were now standing next to him.

"I think that's almost a certainty, Spongebob," replied Jimmy.

"So, we saved the world," nodded Danny, "Where to from here?"

"Yeah, _we_ saved the world, Mr. Flying Monkey," corrected Timmy, crossing his arms.

"I dunno," shrugged Jimmy, "But whatever comes, there's no-one else I'd rather face it with."

The group looked up at the sky, watching the clouds go by. The world had been saved once again – and once again, they were united.

"...you know, this is really cheesy," muttered Timmy.

* * *

"What do you mean, it's _gone?!_"

The government agent paced his office, phone in hand. His face was red.

"It was under armed guard at A-51, how can it be _gone_...what?! Ah...whatever, task all agents to get it back, ASAP – priority one target...alright, alright, get on it."

He hung up and began to dial a new number.

"Yeah, it's Dorian Fletcher. Bad news – someone stole the Chronomancer."

A brief pause.

"Yes, we can confirm it hasn't yet been used. We're monitoring the time stream, so if anything happens, we can respond..."

Another brief pause.

"Of course, we'll keep tabs on that group. If they can stop the Man in the White Suit, they could definitely be valuable against the Warlord."

Yet another pause.

"Alright, alright, I'll monitor them and get the Division scouring for the Chronomancer. You keep up the good work over there."

One more pause.

"Got it. Goodbye, Colonel Atkinson."

He hung up and sat down at his desk, looking at his computer.

_Warlord arrival in TWO months and ZERO days..._

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

And here we are, at the end of a story arc I've been building since towards the end of Chaos and Eggnog! I've got to admit, it feels kind of melancholic - I mean, I have to stop writing for the Man in the White Suit, which is a shame as I enjoyed writing for him.

Ah well, onwards yet onwards - a new arc awaits! I'm very excited about this, as I've been planning it since before I started on Darkness Rising. At the moment, you can expect three fics similar in size to, say, Orb of Power/Stage Fright, rounded off by another big one. And that big one...lets just say, it's gonna be _big._

Anyway, I'd like to thank you all for reading, and for bearing through my many delays (I started this last June, it took _eleven months_). I shall see you quite soon with the next Nicktoons Unite fic.

I invite you all to join me...for **Planktopolis Now**.


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